Start-up company YoungNest has created a life skills bank that prepares young people for adulthood. The company joined BizMaker a year ago. First in the incubator program and then in the Youth Wellness Accelerator. Now it's time to fly further with the help of gamification.
The youngnest.se website provides guidance on all the things that young adults are expected to take responsibility for themselves - such as jobs, unions, housing, insurance and taxes. The platform gathers important information and collaborates with selected companies that also want to help young people. To attract visitors to the website, the company is also building a game to be launched in schools and municipalities.
- "The idea of the website has been the same since we started the company. What we have tweaked is how young people will find it. We decided that we would spread the message through a game and through social media," says founder Nick Sandström.
The game will soon be tested at youth centers in Sundsvall, Arboga and Solna, where the young people's feedback will allow it to be further refined. YoungNest has also received a good response in social media, where the company today reaches out to mostly young people.
- Now we have built a community that has started to tackle, ask and answer questions itself, says Nick.
YoungNest has just received its third innovation check from Almi, which enables Nick Sandström to travel around the country and meet schools and municipalities.
- One of my favorite moments was when I got to tell about YoungNest at Timrå municipality's business breakfast. When you are in front of others, you get many questions that force you to reflect. Maybe it even leads to something even better!
BizMaker's business development program Youth Wellness Accelerator helps startup companies to test, verify and communicate digital solutions that counteract mental illness in children and young people. BizMaker's business advisor Maria Wiik is one of the people Nick Sandström highlights now when the time in the accelerator is to be summarized.
- Maria asked lots of difficult questions about, for example, how we should handle the dialogue with investors and municipalities and she constantly challenged us to refine our idea. Thanks to her, we also got in touch with the right people in Sundsvall municipality and at Almi.
Nick says that he now sees entrepreneurship and running companies in a completely different way than before. Not least when it comes to doing things in the right order. He also praises the structure of the accelerator, which has been tailored to the participants' needs.
- BizMaker has been a fantastic help. They have given us all the tools and resources we needed, with workshops and seminars suitable for each phase of the process. The Youth Wellness Accelerator has really taken both our mindset and the company to the next level," says Nick Sandström about the last year as an entrepreneur.
So far, YoungNest's work has led to valuable contacts with Solna Municipality, Arboga Municipality and Sundsvall Municipality. What lies ahead?
- We want to start with a tight community and then spread our activities around the country. In the long run, we are also looking at other countries in Europe. Right now I'm working on the game prototype every waking hour when I'm not working extra on a side job. One thing is certain: You have to be really stubborn as an entrepreneur!
That stubbornness has taken Nick and the rest of the team behind YoungNest a long way. Including valuable contacts with RISE and their GameNode group in Stockholm.
- The fact that RISE wants to work with us to explore the possibilities of realizing our game idea is the best thing that has happened! I really look forward to the continuation," concludes Nick Sandström.
Contact
Nick Sandström, Founder YoungNest
nick(@)youngnest.se
